Boyd Were Sweeps Kasipul By-Election to Become MP in Resounding ODM Victory
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga hailed the outcome, describing Boyd’s victory as a testament to the continued dominance of the party and relevance in the region.
Kasipul MP-elect Boyd Were with his certificate from IEBC after being elected winner. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Boyd Were of Orange Democratic Movement [ODM] has been overwhelmingly elected the new Member of Parliament for Kasipul Constituency after a highly monitored by-election. The contest drew several candidates from across the political divide, which ended with a decisive win for Boyd, cementing ODM’s strong influence in Homa Bay County.
According to official results announced by Constituency Returning Officer Rebecca Abwaku in the early hours of Friday morning at Agoro Sare High School, Boyd Were garnered 16,819 votes, placing him far ahead of every other contender. His closest challenger, independent candidate Philip Aroko, finished with 8,476 votes, slightly more than half of Boyd’s tally. Aroko’s performance, though respectable, failed to threaten the ODM wave that dominated the race.
Coming third was Collins Omondi Okeyo of the Movement for Democracy and Growth, who attracted 4,796 votes, representing moderate support that was not strong enough to mount a serious challenge. The rest recorded far smaller vote tallies: Issack Kiche managed 201 votes, Robert Money Bior collected 519 votes, Rateng Okoth Kotiende earned 72 votes, Jesse Okello got 55 votes, Jaezmen Linda Aoko followed with 26 votes, Robert Ouma received 17 votes, while Ishmael Omondi Koyoo rounded off the list with 98 votes.
The wide margin separating Boyd from the rest of the field reflected strong voter confidence in his candidacy, partly fueled by his promise to continue the leadership legacy of his late father, Ong’ondo Were, whose death in April created the vacancy. The emotional aspect of the contest, combined with ODM’s entrenched grassroots presence, was what significantly contributed to Boyd’s landslide victory.
Upon receiving his certificate from the IEBC, Boyd expressed heartfelt thanks to the people of Kasipul for the privilege of allowing him to represent them in Parliament. He added that this victory was not only political but very personal, since he was taking a seat that his father had held. Boyd vowed to uphold and advance the development agenda that his late father started by promising to focus on infrastructure, education, and improved service delivery across the constituency.
Homa Bay Governor and ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga hailed the outcome, describing Boyd’s victory as a testament to the continued dominance of the party and relevance in the region. She noted that the overwhelming support ODM received demonstrated the trust that residents still place in the party’s leadership and vision.
Wanga also assured the people that her county government would work closely with the newly elected MP in fast-tracking developmental projects in Kasipul. She repeated that she was committed to ensuring the constituency benefited from both county and national government initiatives, especially on health, agriculture, and youth empowerment. The win by Boyd Were ushers in a new chapter in Kasipul Constituency, which its residents expect to build on previously achieved milestones and steer the area to even greater progress.
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